Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin intensified his attack on the alleged Hindi imposition, declaring that those attempting to enforce the language were the true chauvinists and anti-nationals. In a strongly worded social media post, he invoked the 1967 Tamil language protests led by DMK founder CN Annadurai and called upon the people of Tamil Nadu to resist any attempt to undermine the prominence of their language.

Emphasizing the historical struggle against such policies, he posted an image of Annadurai on X, stating, "1967: Anna sat down; Tamil Nadu rose! If any harm comes to the proud Tamil Nadu, let us roar like wildfire! Let us celebrate the victory!"

Stalin further argued that demanding linguistic equality was not an act of chauvinism, but rather a fight for fairness. He criticized those who accused the DMK of being anti-national, asserting that the real threat to unity came from those seeking to impose Hindi on states with distinct linguistic identities. In another post, he referenced a well-known saying: "When you are accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression." He claimed that some groups, whom he called "entitled bigots," had consistently tried to paint the DMK as anti-national for simply standing up for Tamil's rightful place in its own land.

Taking a swipe at right-wing ideologues, Stalin pointed out the DMK's contributions to India during critical moments such as the Chinese Aggression, the Bangladesh Liberation War, and the Kargil War, while reminding his critics that their ideological ancestors glorified Nathuram Godse, the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi. He also accused the central government of deliberately alienating Tamil Nadu, stating that naming key criminal laws in a language Tamils cannot even pronounce was an act of linguistic dominance. He further alleged that the BJP-led government was treating Tamil Nadu as a second-class state by withholding crucial funds, particularly the Rs 2,150 crore meant for the state after it rejected the National Education Policy (NEP).

The DMK government has consistently opposed the NEP, arguing that its three-language formula disproportionately favors Hindi and undermines regional languages. The issue escalated after the Centre allegedly punished Tamil Nadu by blocking financial allocations. Stalin insisted that forcing any language upon a diverse country like India would only create division and enmity, ultimately weakening national unity.

Beyond language, Stalin also addressed the contentious issue of parliamentary seat delimitation. He argued that basing the redistribution of seats on recent population figures would unfairly penalize southern states like Tamil Nadu, which have successfully implemented population control measures. Since northern states have experienced higher population growth, he warned that a population-based delimitation would reduce the number of seats for Tamil Nadu and other southern states, effectively weakening their political influence at the national level.

To counter this, Stalin convened an all-party meeting on Wednesday, attended by 55 political parties, where leaders unanimously opposed delimitation based on population. The BJP, Tamil Manila Congress, and Naam Tamilar Katchi were notably absent. The meeting resulted in five resolutions, one of which insisted that any future delimitation must adhere to the 1971 census rather than more recent figures. The resolution warned that population-based delimitation posed a serious threat to India’s federal structure and could significantly reduce Tamil Nadu’s voice in national decision-making.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from PTI.